Disabled Persons (Hansard, 15 December 1977)

§ Mr. John Grant

Figures for public sector employees were published in the November edition of theDepartment of Employment Gazette. The figures, which show a further decline in the proportion satisfying quota, give continued cause for concern. It is only right for me to emphasise, however, that they relate only to those disabled employees who have registered. Registration is voluntary and we know that there are many disabled people in employment who have not registered 309W or who are registered and prefer not to disclose the fact. This point has been made by chairmen of nationalised industries and public boards in their reply to requests last December to review their policies towards employing disabled people. In some instances they have suggested that if all disabled people in their employment registered they could have satisfied quotas. At the same time they have assured me that they would do their utmost to increase the numbers of disabled people in their employment.

Other initiatives have also been taken. The Civil Service Department issued last December a code of practice on the employment of disabled people to all Government Departments and each Department has appointed a disabled persons liaison officer. Both the Department of Health and Social Security and the National Joint Advisory Council of the electricity supply industry subsequently issued similar guidance to health authorities and regional electricity boards respectively. In addition, last April I asked the chairmen of over 200 disablement advisory committees to consider what further advice their committees can give to stimulate the employment of disabled people in their areas. Disablement resettlement officers of the ESA have been active in discussing this question with public sector employers. Nationally, the ESA, together with the Civil Service Department and the Civil Service Commission, are continuing to explore the question of recruitment and career development of disabled people in Departments generally.

As to enforcement of the quota scheme, the ESA, in setting up its programme of quota inspections for 1977–78, will be concentrating to a greater extent on employers in both the private and public sectors whose observance of the quota is apparently unsatisfactory.

The House will also want to know that wider initiatives have also been taken by the Manpower Services Commission. Following the issue by the Commission of the guide to employers entitled "Positive Policies" in May 1977, disablement resettlement officers are continuing a long-term programme of visits to employers to encourage implementation of its guidelines. Furthermore, the Commission has also recently drawn up a development programme for its employ- 310W ment and training services for disabled people over the next five to 10 years. The programme, which includes a substantial number of proposals for improvements and developments and gives indications of relative priorities, will he published in the new year.

Although it would appear that these initiatives have borne little fruit so far, it must be remembered that the figures published in the Department of Employment Gazette relate to 1st June 1977. There has therefore been little time for the measures outlined to have taken effect, particularly at a time of the slowing down of recruitment in the public sector.

I believe that the combined steps which I have described continue to offer the best hopes of achieving an improvement in the numbers of disabled people employed in the public sector. Nevertheless, I propose to write again to my ministerial colleagues about what more might be done in the fields for which they have responsibility, and I shall also be writing to the chairmen of organisations in the Department of Employment Group.